Are you "brand" person when it comes to your tractor?

[CalG]

I'm brand loyal, won't even consider options.

And a snob about it too!

Check my equipment list, all of them have wheels! ;-)

 

[Wagtail]

In one way, yes, I'm 'brand loyal' as the JD products have served me well... because I was fortunate to buy the right tractor(s) for my needs. I bought my z-turn because of the trade-in value and the support.

But the other way was the dealership itself... they sold me the tractor that I needed for my circumstances (instead of what was on the lot) and have always 'been there' for me with advice/parts/support. That, above all, has kept me as 'brand loyal'.

 

[4570Man]

Shopping strictly by brand is foolish. No one brand makes the best of everything.

 

[jyoutz]

I will only buy brands that have full dealer service within an hours drive. That left me with three brand choices: JD, Kubota, and Mahindra. I chose mine from that short list of brands based on features and price. I would have considered other brands if they had nearby dealerships.

 

[mikester]

I'm interested in a local dealership, service, and availability of parts. My options are Case/NH/Kubota/MF/Deer.

NH and K are more budget friendly brands. K parts are cheaper and more available. I have two local K dealerships to choose from.

I like the Deere's but not their premiums. Nor do I like the Made in China budget stuff.

 

[oosik]

I bought my first tractor - Ford 1700 4WD - from a local dealer. That was in '82. In 2009 I upgraded and he was selling Kubota then. I traded in the Ford and bought a brand new Kubota M6040. Both tractors were/are great.

Now as far as implements. I have a Wally chipper - Rhino rear blade - Bush Hog ROBB - Land Pride disk - Pittsburg moldboard plow & Land Pride grapple.

I'm partial to Cat 2, heavy duty implements. They actually do work and last forever - if properly maintained.

One of my main reasons for upgrading to the Kubota - it will handle Cat 2 implements. Cat 1 implements are simply too light and don't work well for me.

 

[RjCorazza]

I guess I am brand loyal, but not blindly. I have had good service from my Kubota tractors and mowers over the past 20 some years.
I am certainly NOT brand loyal to the extent of being critical of other folks equipment choices.
As others have said, I am somewhat more loyal to the dealer that I can count on. About 10 years ago I fired my local Kubota dealer, and now do business with a dealer about an hour away. They just couldn't get their stuff together with sales and parts, the service dept was good though.

My farmer neighbor is blindly brand loyal to John Deere. He says my ground moans every time I drive my Kubotas over it. All in good fun!

 

[Rustyiron]

I traded in a Deere that I bought new. The group I selected for comparison & quotes were Deere, NH, and Kubota, all dealers atthat I was familiar with and had dealt with before.
All things considered I got the Kubota. I've really grown to appreciate the fact that Kubota really makes the whole tractor "in house" where my previous Deere was more outsourced world wide major components. I understand this is kinda silly, I have no problem with "Dana - Spicer, etc" axles transfer cases in my pickups.
Lately I've been reminded of JD's almost predatory parts prices while doing some basic service on a newly acquired Gator. $45 disk brake pads is an example, and like automotive brake pads that are always sold in pairs by the axle... not JD, that's by the corner. Don't get me started on ball joints.
I love the Gator (835r) but truly feel abused at the parts counter and they're right in line with (online) green parts store and great guys.
Back when I made the deal JD only offered their bucket quick change while basically the rest of the tractor world offered the SS of which I have dozens of attachments. That and the large price difference did it. I still love me that pretty green paint, just not enough to pay for it.

 

[Rdrcr]

Nope. Not with tractors and not with vehicles. I buy the best option, for my requirements, at the time of purchase and cross-shop the competition before making any decision.

Mike

 

[bigtiller]

I'm not brand loyal but it is easy to be green.
My dealer is 3 miles away. It was started in 1944 and now has 600 employees at 32 locations in 4 states.
That, and the green guys send me a paycheck every month.